Wyndham Championship interview: Patrick Reed

DOUG MILNE: Okay. We'd like to welcome Patrick Reed after a 3rd round 1-over 71 today at Wyndham Championship. Nonetheless, still tied at the top.

Heard you outside, you said that Saturdays always seem to kind of give you the feeling of trepidation but you made it through Saturday and you were still right at the top of the leaderboard so with that, just some comments on the long day.

PATRICK REED: Long day for sure. You know, just seemed to be one of those days where I mean you wake up early in the morning, expect to have a morning tee time and tee off at 12:05. Unfortunately, you know, it was long but at the same time we made it through it.
I mean if you would have told me after a Saturday I'd be tied for the lead going into the final round, I would have taken it. I wouldn't even have teed it up. But, you know, if I putt a little better, hopefully we can close it off.

DOUG MILNE: With that we'll jump into some questions.

Q. I asked John the same thing about everybody bunched up. What's going to be your mindset tomorrow?

PATRICK REED: It's a Monday qualifier. I had a lot of success on Monday qualifiers and it's basically what it is. I mean everybody back in the field.

You know, to now all of a sudden to have it as bunched as it is it's going to be whoever makes as many birdies as possible tomorrow and shoot the low number.

Q. What turned your round around on the back-9?

PATRICK REED: I think it was the tee shot on 14. I was having issues with the driver hitting everything left. Not really left, more left of left and to hit it on 14, have the bunker on the left, it is just really nasty.

The mist was coming down at that point and it was into the wind quite a bit and step up, take a very aggressive swing and hit a driver right down the middle and hit a solid 4-iron with that right flag and make birdie, give myself a good luck. I think that was the key point.

It was funny because yesterday and the day before I remember hitting hard 9-iron or even pitching wedge into that hole and I told somebody I was hitting 9-iron and wedge into that hole yesterday and the day before. Today I hit 4-iron, you know. Didn't drive any better.

Just shows how much longer and stuff it was playing. To be able to do that kind of got me in a groove. Made a good shot on 15. My wife read a perfect putt on 16. I saw it going right. No, it's going left. When you have 19 putts on the front-9 you're going to listen to somebody else (laughter.)

I listened to her. It was center cut. Especially after watching John make birdie from a long putt on 16 to tie me and then to make that putt, take the lead at that point, I felt was a key point.

Q. You came out pretty solidly on the first four holes, fairways and greens. What happened to you on 5?

PATRICK REED: Yeah. You know, good drive. That's about it. Then from there, I just went downhill. You know, I tried to hit a soft 2-iron from basically a baseball swing because the ball was so far above my feet. Probably wasn't the smartest decision but I'm an aggressive player. I didn't think it would get me in trouble. I hit probably about five, six inches behind it. The ball probably went 150 yards.

The one spot I probably couldn't have gone is where it ended up on the downslope of the bunker but not in the bunker. The ball was probably five, six feet below my feet with a 50-yard wedge shot.

The wedge shot was okay. I made solid contact. Felt like I hit a good shot. Literally probably a yard. It flew a yard farther would have ended up on the green ten feet. Instead it ended up catching the ridge and going off the green. You know, just one of those holes.

Q. Patrick, do you think tomorrow you're ready for what's in front of you? Do you feel like this is your time?

PATRICK REED: Oh, yeah. You know, I have the lead. I'm very excited about that. But, at the same time, you know, I have work to do and I've been in this position before. I mean I had a lead, tied for the lead with Zach Johnson at John Deere going into Saturday.

I had -- I was one back from Bubba going into Saturday at Travelers, all these events, and then I was close to the lead at Canada, RBC.

I had opportunities and this time -- every single one of those days, the only difference was Saturday completely took me out of the tournament. This time yeah, it brought everybody back in but, at the same time, I'm still tied for the lead.

So, I'm going into tomorrow and stick to the game plan and not have 19 putts on the front-9.

Q. Patrick, what did you learn from those experiences being in the lead or around the lead?

PATRICK REED: The main thing is just stick to the game plan. There's a lot of times that I got away from game plan or I made an early bogey and I decided to press and try to feather 4 irons or feather the long clubs into holes to tucked flags rather than, you know what, sticking to the game plan.

I felt like I did that well, really well today. I realized how long the course really was playing when I stepped up on 2 because you can't really tell with it downwind.

Stepped up on 2 and I was hitting that 1 iron, soft wedge all week and the pin was probably 20 paces back of where it's been all week. But I hit 1 iron, 5-iron to the flag.

The main thing is hitting fairways. If I do that and give myself opportunities I feel like I'm putting well, you know, didn't show it today how poorly I putted but I felt like I'm hitting good strokes, hitting good lines and I just had issues with speed today.

Some greens were a little faster, some slower due to the fact I was also in every swale. I didn't have flat putts. I always had to go over something and it's just because it was playing tough.

Q. Have you been able to channel that kind of Monday qualifier mindset much this season?

PATRICK REED: Not really. Due to the fact I didn't really have a situation where I needed to do a Monday day, you know. I didn't have a time where I was okay I have 18 holes, you have a chance. Lot of those times it was a Saturday and if you still have 36 holes to play -- I never put myself in a situation yet until this week where, you know, if I go and play better than everybody out in the field I'm going to win, you know.

All the other events I had to play not only better than everybody else but I also needed some help. This time I don't need help because I'm at the top.

If they want to help me, I don't mind, that's for sure "laughter."

DOUG MILNE: One of the things real quick, just wanted to ask you about, I think one of the unique parts of story is obviously your wife, just did you ever imagine that that would become such the story that it has?

I was with you at John Deere and that was certainly quite the story and some of the other places. What kind of dimension does that add to your approach with the two of you out here as a team?
PATRICK REED: It's huge. I saw it due to the fact how athletic and how much of a competitor she is in and everything she does. She always wants to win. You want somebody like that on your bag. Also she just as a knack for reading the greens.

She reads them extremely well and knows my club selection. Show knows how far I hit every club, whether it's a full shot, 85 percent or 75 percent shot. It doesn't really matter.

She knows how far everyone goes. She's around me every day. She's there when I'm with my swing coach and practicing. It's basically like you're having your coach with you and also it's my wife so I'm more comforted due if the fact she's safe at all times and I'm with her all the time.

Q. If you win, does she get more than the normal ten percent or how does that work?

PATRICK REED: Don't like anybody who takes a hundred percent from your paycheck. But I don't mind.